Hi Tony: I am the guy that wrote the Uwe review at AA; my user name there is blake.
The Soundsmith route is the other way to go and I was actually alluding to that in my post above with respect to the re-tip. My 103R will be due to be replaced or retipped in about 5 or 6 months so my decision at that time will be to simply buy another 103R or to send my existing cartridge to Soundsmith for a new ruby cantilever and line contact stylus as the costs are pretty much the same.
If you want to go nude with the 103 or 103R, I see the non-commercial route via ordering a brass mounting plate from another AA member that has them posted in the classifieds there for $40 as being the most cost effective way of doing that one. Soundsmith does state on their website that they do something to reinforce/support the cartridge internals following nuding to prevent or reduce cartridge damage once it's nuded but I don't really know what they would do. Perhaps pot the cartridge internals with epoxy or a similar substance the way Zu has?
I'm leaning toward simply replacing my 103R as opposed to retipping with a line contact. Although I've heard great things about the Soundsmith line contact on 103's and 103R's I'm just a bit leery that it might upset what I perceive to be one of the Denon's great strengths and that is its top to bottom coherence and very "natural" presentation. Frankly, I never felt the stock 103R to lack detail, although it clearly does when compared to my ebony bodied version, which is not only more "detailed" without being analytical, but also more transparent and simply more revealing of more musical info on the record. I'm a bit concerned that the line contact stylus on it might take things a bit too far, sacrificing that balanced musical quality that I really like about the cartridge in favor of more detail retrieval aligned with a more clinical/analytical presentation. What I may do is buy a new 103R and then at some later date send the old one to Soundsmith so I'd have access to both and be able to keep the one I prefer (both of which would be, of course, installed in the ebony body I have) with the 2nd as a backup.
As you point out, one of the criticisms of the stock Denon is its bass performance; not that there is a lack of bass (which is certainly not the case) but rather that it is a bit "wooly" or "loose", perhaps lacking some definition in that area. The wood body offers even more bass, if you can believe that, and does certainly tighten that bass up and give it more definition. I haven't done head to head comparisons with other cartridges, and my system (speakers in particular) is not one that really excels in the "tight bass department", so I can't comment on whether the wood bodied Denon is the last word in this area. I would expect (just an educated guess) that a nuded Denon with a brass mounting plate would offer up better bass definition, but possibly a little less extension. I believe that Pat O'Malley at vinyl asylum is one of the few people who has listened to both nude w/brass mounting plate vs. wood body and his remarks, if I'm reading them correctly would seem to indicate that. It might be worth contacting him for some feedback.
Hope this helps.
